I’m Mike Vardy, and I help people build a better relationship with time — not by controlling it, but by working with it. Through my writing, courses, and community, I explore how intention and attention shape a more meaningful life — one rooted in the original idea of productiveness over productivity.
ATTN: It's Closing Time
Hello Reader,
The song “Closing Time” by Semisonic is a tune I heard countless times when I’d go out to a club in my mid-twenties and early thirties. Even in recent years, it’d echo in a bar as the last call was declared by the bar staff.
I’d always thought is was just about getting out of the joint because it was closing time. But it turns out there’s a deeper meaning to the song.
The song subtly touches upon the concept of birth and new beginnings. It was was written by lead singer Dan Wilson as he anticipated the birth of his child. The idea of one thing ending (time within the womb) and another thing beginning (time within the world) isn’t unlike the ending of a year to make way for the start of another – no matter when you start your year.
But there’s even more to the song.
Delving deeper into its lyrics reveals profound insights about transitions, endings, and new beginnings, making it particularly resonant as we transition from one year to another.
- The song’s chorus, “I know who I want to take me home,” can be interpreted as a metaphor for self-knowledge and determination. As we step into the new year, it prompts us to consider who we are and what we truly desire. It’s a call to align our actions with our deepest values and aspirations.
- The recurring line, “Closing time, open all the doors and let you out into the world,” could be considered an urging to step out of one’s comfort zone. As we bid farewell to one year, this line invites us to embrace the unknown adventures that the new year holds.
- “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end,” is a line that captures the essence of life’s continuous cycle. It’s particularly relevant when reflecting on the transition from one year to the next. As this year ends, it’s not just the conclusion of a chapter but also the seed from which the new year grows. This perspective encourages us to embrace endings not as finalities but as precursors to new opportunities and experiences. You can view it as a call to view change not with apprehension but with optimism and curiosity.
- The lyric, “Time for you to go out to the places you will be from,” offers a reflective look at the journey of life and the inevitable changes that shape our identity. As we move into a new year, it invites us to consider how our experiences from the past year (and years) have contributed to who we are now. It’s a reminder that our past, with all its triumphs and challenges, is a significant part of our story. This reflection can motivate us to make conscious choices in the new year, ones that align with the legacy we wish to create for ourselves.
At its core, “Closing Time” symbolizes the inevitable passage of time and the constant presence of change.
So as a new year unfolds, take inspiration from this 1998 classic. Let’s open new doors, cherish the transitions, and craft a year where we are not only productive but also true to ourselves and our paths.
Here’s to a year of purpose, patience, and progress. Here’s to a year of productiveness.
See you later,
Mike
P.S. If you could take a moment before closing this email to fill out my audience survey, I’d appreciate it. Your feedback and insights will help me craft the kind of content you’d like to see in the year ahead. Click here to go to the survey.
The Practice of Productiveness
I’m Mike Vardy, and I help people build a better relationship with time — not by controlling it, but by working with it. Through my writing, courses, and community, I explore how intention and attention shape a more meaningful life — one rooted in the original idea of productiveness over productivity.
The Lantern by Mike Vardy Vol. 1, Issue 36| November 1, 2025 Hello Reader, October always feels like a month in motion. The days quicken, the light shortens, and the world seems to collide with itself — baseball finishing, basketball and hockey beginning, football and soccer in full stride. It’s a season of noise and momentum. And then November arrives. A quieter month. A slower breath. It starts with no — but I like to add a W. For me, that turns it into NOWvember — a reminder to shift from...
Hello Reader, October 30 — sometime known as Devil’s Night. A fitting time to talk about what haunts so many of us: the details. The calendar gives us the directory of our days—where things live.The to-do list gives us the details—what fills them.And that’s where the devil often hides. We stare down a swarm of half-done projects and open loops. Fear sets in—the fear of forgetting, of not finishing, of facing too much at once. But fear fades when we can see clearly. That’s what Attention Paths...
Hello Reader, I have this bright orange coffee mug that says ignore negativity in black script. It holds just enough coffee to get me through the first stretch of writing, but lately, it’s been holding more meaning than caffeine. Because here’s the thing: ignoring negativity only works for so long. Whether it comes from others—or from inside your own head—sooner or later, that voice you’re trying to tune out starts humming in the background, asking to be heard. When I chose The Productivity...